ÖBB
Encyclopedia
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, and the administrators of Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein
The Principality of Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked alpine country in Central Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. Its area is just over , and it has an estimated population of 35,000. Its capital is Vaduz. The biggest town is Schaan...
's railways. The ÖBB group is owned entirely by the Republic of Austria and is divided into several separate businesses that manage the infrastructure and operate passenger and freight services.
The ÖBB are the successor to the Bundesbahn Österreich (BBÖ, Federal Railway of Austria) which was incorporated into the Deutsche Reichsbahn
Deutsche Reichsbahn
Deutsche Reichsbahn was the name of the following two companies:* Deutsche Reichsbahn, the German Imperial Railways during the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich and the immediate aftermath...
between 1938 and 1945, and which itself was the successor of the kkStB (Imperial Royal Austrian State Railways).
Major changes currently being made to the Austrian railway network are the construction of the Wien Hauptbahnhof
Wien Hauptbahnhof
Wien Hauptbahnhof is the name for a railway station under construction in Vienna, Austria. It will replace the Südbahnhof terminal station with a through station which links four major railway lines that converge on Vienna from the North, East, West and South...
(Vienna main station), the Koralm Railway
Koralm Railway
The Koralm railway is a proposed 125 km long two track, electrified, high-speed railway link under construction connecting the Austrian cities of Graz and Klagenfurt...
and the Brenner Base Tunnel
Brenner Base Tunnel
The Brenner Base Tunnel is a planned long railway tunnel through the base of the Brenner massif. It will run from Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof in Austria to Franzensfeste in Italy, replacing part of the current Brenner railway...
connection with Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
.
History
- 1882 – Gradual nationalisation of the railway network of the Austro-Hungarian monarchyAustria-HungaryAustria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
into the Imperial Royal Austrian State Railways (Kaiserlich-königliche österreichische Staatsbahnen). - 1923 – Foundation of the independent, commercial enterprise, the Austrian Federal Railways (Österreichische Bundesbahnen) which used the abbreviation BBÖ, because ÖBB was already taken by the Swiss Oensingen-Balsthal-Bahn.
- 1938 – The AnschlussAnschlussThe Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
of Austria into the German EmpireGerman EmpireThe German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
. The BBÖ was taken over by the Deutsche ReichsbahnDeutsche ReichsbahnDeutsche Reichsbahn was the name of the following two companies:* Deutsche Reichsbahn, the German Imperial Railways during the Weimar Republic, the Third Reich and the immediate aftermath...
. During the Second World War about 41 % of the Austrian railway network was destroyed. - 1947 – The ÖBB (by that time the Swiss private railway used the abbreviation SP for its goods wagons in international traffic, so its abbreviation ÖBB could now be appropriated) were reformed as a state-owned company. Their infrastructure was rebuilt and electrification was accelerated.
- 1969 – A new federal railway law was enacted. The ÖBB became a non-independent, economic entity, that was run as a branch of the government's industrial programme and remained entirely within the Federal budget.
- 1992 – The ÖBB were broken out of the federal budget and turned into company with its own legal status (a cross between a GmbH and an AG in Austrian commercial terms). The company is 100 % owned by the Republic of Austria. This change had two primary aims: 1. It had to conform to EU rules on the admission of Austria into the European UnionEuropean UnionThe European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. 2. The financial demand on the public purse was to be reduced as a result of improvements in efficiency and the pressure of competition. - 2004 – The ÖBB were reorganised into ÖBB Holding AG and a number of operating subsidiaries. The holding company was to oversee the operations of the companies assigned to it, coordinate a coherent strategic approach and allocate tasks for the whole enterprise.
- 1 January 2005 – The subsidiaries of ÖBB-Holding AG became autonomous and independent operationally. See below.
The Austrian rail system is largely electrified. Electrification of the system began in 1912 but did not reach an advanced state until the 1950s. The last steam locomotive in regular service on the standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
network was retired in 1978.
The post-war laws related to the Austrian railways were the:
- Eisenbahngesetz (EisbG 1957),
- Schieneninfrastrukturfinanzierungsgesetz (SCHIG 1999),
- Eisenbahnhochleistungsstreckengesetz (HIG 1999) and
- Bundesbahngesetz (1992).
Current structure
On 1 January 2005 a new organisation structure was put in place, which is consolidated by a single shareholder, namely the Republic of Austria.ÖBB-Holding AG (a holding company which gives a strategic overview of the railway)
- ÖBB-Dienstleistungs GmbH
- ÖBB-Infrastruktur Bau AG (Infrastructure planning, management, and construction)
- Brenner Eisenbahn GmbH
- ÖBB-Immobilienmanagement GmbH
- ÖBB-Infrastruktur Betrieb AG (Maintenance of railway lines, stations, and infrastructure)
- ÖBB-Personenverkehr AG (Passenger transport)
- Rail Cargo Austria AGRail Cargo AustriaRail Cargo Austria is an Austrian rail freight transportation company with its headquarters in Vienna. It is the transport service provider within the ÖBB Group...
(Freight transport)
Subsidiary companies of ÖBB-Personenverkehr AG and Rail Cargo Austria AG are:
- ÖBB-Produktion GmbH (provision of locomotives)
- ÖBB-Technische Services GmbH (technical services)
The business units are based on the separation of sales and infrastructure.
{| class="wikitable" border="1"
|-
! colspan="2"|Österreichische Bundesbahnen
|-
| Sales
| Infrastructure
|-
| Passenger transport
| Network
|-
| Freight transport
| Tracks
|-
| Traction
| Signal-/System technology
|-
| Technical services
| Telekom
|-
| Power plants
| Energy network
|-
| Facility management
| Planning/Engineering
|-
|
| Facility management
|}
Statistics
According to the Annual Report 2007, the company employs 42,893, thereof 9,273 employees, 32,299 tenured employees and 1,321 apprentices. In 2007, ÖBB-Personenverkehr AG carried 447 million passengers of which 238 million were bus passengers.The ÖBB has
- 5,700 km (3,500 route miles); 57% electrified
- 1,230 locomotives.
- 3,136 passenger vehicles
- 220 Electrical Multiple Unit
- 145 Diesel Multiple Unit
- ÖBB's bus services travel 52500000 km (32,622,069 mi) per year.
Principal Lines
- Western Railway
- Southern RailwaySouthern Railway (Austria)The Southern Railway is a two-track, electrified railway line in Austria that runs from Vienna to Graz and Trieste via Wiener Neustadt and the Semmering Pass and is one of the major lines of Austria. It was originally built by the Austrian Southern Railway...
- Semmering RailwaySemmering RailwayThe Semmering railway, Austria, which starts at Gloggnitz and leads over the Semmering to Mürzzuschlag was the first mountain railway in Europe built with a standard gauge track. It is commonly referred to as the world's first true mountain railway, given the very difficult terrain and the...
- A World Heritage Site
- Semmering Railway
- Northern RailwayNorthern Railway (Austria)The Emperor Ferdinand Northern Railway was the name of a former railway company during the time of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. Its main line was supposed to connect Vienna with salt mines in Bochnia near Kraków...
- Eastern Railway
- Northwestern RailwayAustrian Northwestern RailwayThe Austrian Northwestern Railway was the name of a former railway company during the time of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy...
- Arlberg RailwayArlberg RailwayThe Arlberg railway, which connects the Austrian cities Innsbruck and Bludenz, is Austria's only east-west mountain railway. The 135.7 km line is referred as Europe's most difficult mountain railway since it is threatened by avalanches, mudslides, rockfalls or floods...
- Brenner RailwayBrenner railwayThe Brenner Railway is a major line connecting the Austrian and Italian railways from Innsbruck and Verona climbing the Wipptal , passing over the Brenner Pass and descending down the Eisack Valley to Bolzano and then down the Adige Valley from Bolzano to Rovereto and from there along the...
- Franz Josef RailwayFranz Josef RailwayThe Emperor Franz Joseph Railway is an Austrian railway line originally named after Emperor Franz Joseph....
- Koralm RailwayKoralm RailwayThe Koralm railway is a proposed 125 km long two track, electrified, high-speed railway link under construction connecting the Austrian cities of Graz and Klagenfurt...
(under construction) - Pyhrn Railway
- Tauern RailwayTauern RailwayThe Tauern Railway is an Austrian railway line between Schwarzach-Sankt Veit in the state of Salzburg and Spittal an der Drau in Carinthia. It is part of one of the most important north-south trunk routes in Europe and also carries tourist traffic for the Gastein Valley...
Rail links to adjacent countries
- Same gauge
-
Czech Republic — voltage change to 25 kV 50 Hz AC -
GermanyRail transport in Germany, Germany had a railway network of 41,315 km. 19,857 km are electrified. The total track length was 76,473 km. Germany is a member of the International Union of Railways . The UIC Country Code for Germany is 80.-Overview:...
— same voltage 15 kV AC -
Hungary — voltage change to 25 kV 50 Hz AC -
ItalyRail transport in ItalyThe Italian railway system is one of the most important infrastructure in the country, with a total length of . The network is recently growing with the construction of the new high speed rail network....
— voltage change to 3 kV DC -
LiechtensteinRail transport in LiechtensteinLiechtenstein's railway is operated by the Austrian Federal Railways. The railway only incidentally serves stations in Liechtenstein, and is an exception to the more usual co-operation with Switzerland, such as Liechteinstein's use of the Swiss franc as its currency and its common customs area...
— same voltage 15 kV AC -
SlovakiaRail transport in SlovakiaRail transport in Slovakia began on 21 September 1840, with the opening of the first line from Bratislava to Svätý Jur and on 20 August 1848 ....
— voltage change to 25 kV 50 Hz AC -
Slovenia — voltage change to 3 kV DC -
SwitzerlandRail transport in SwitzerlandThe railways of Switzerland include and narrow gauge .*Network size: 5,063 km*standard gauge: , of which is electrified.*narrow gauge: , of which is electrified...
— same voltage 15 kV AC
-
See also
- Rail transport in AustriaRail transport in AustriaRail transport in Austria is mainly owned by the national rail company ÖBB. The railway network consists of 6,123 km, its gauge is 1,435 mm and 3,523 km are electrified....
- History of rail transport in AustriaHistory of rail transport in AustriaThe history of rail transport in Austria began with the Reisszug, a private funicular serving the Fortress of Salzburg. Built at the end of the 15th century and first documented in 1515, it is the oldest known funicular in the world, and possibly the oldest existing railway line.In 1837, following...
- Railway stations in Austria
- Imperial Austrian State RailwaysImperial Austrian State RailwaysThe Imperial Royal State Railways was the state railway organisation in the Cisleithanian part of Austria-Hungary.-Early history:...
- ÖBB Rolling StockÖBB Rolling StockThis is a list of the rolling stock operated by the Austrian Federal Railway , including retired classes.- Steam Locomotives :- Tenders :- Electric Locomotives :- Diesel Locomotives :- Steam railcars :- Electrical multiple units :...
- Rail transport in LiechtensteinRail transport in LiechtensteinLiechtenstein's railway is operated by the Austrian Federal Railways. The railway only incidentally serves stations in Liechtenstein, and is an exception to the more usual co-operation with Switzerland, such as Liechteinstein's use of the Swiss franc as its currency and its common customs area...
- operated by ÖBB - RailjetRailjetThe Railjet is a high speed train of the Austrian Federal Railways , which was introduced with the timetable change of 2008–2009 and operates at speeds of up to , with a planned increase to by 2013...
- the new high speed service of the ÖBB - Transport in AustriaTransport in AustriaThis article provides an overview of the transportation infrastructure in the country of Austria.- Railways :total: 6,123 km standard gauge: 5,639 km gauge ....
Other railways in Austria
- AchenseebahnAchenseebahnThe Achensee Railway is a long metre gauge railway running between Jenbach and Seespitz on Lake Achensee in Tyrol . Within its length it rises some in height, with the steeper sections using the Riggenbach rack system...
- PöstlingbergbahnPöstlingbergbahnThe Pöstlingbergbahn is a narrow-gauge electric railway, or "mountain tramway", in Linz, Austria. It connects the main square in the center of Linz with the district of Pöstlingberg, located at the top of a hill at the northern end of the city...
- SchafbergbahnSchafbergbahnThe Schafberg Railway is a metre gauge cog railway in Upper Austria leading from Sankt Wolfgang im Salzkammergut up to the Schafberg . With a total length of 5.85 km it gains about 1,200 m in height difference. The rail gauge is . It uses the Abt system. Operation started in 1893...
- Schneebergbahn
- Zillertalbahn